Boring type continuous mining machine



May 7 1963 J. GoNsKl BORING TYPE CONTINUOUS MININGMACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 1l, 1961 -l\ -SA N|mmWH| May 7, 1963 J. GoNsKl 3,088,719

BORING TYPE CONTINUOUS MINING- MACHINE Filed May l1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 sa- ""w y Y m UnitediStates arent A,This invention relates' to improvements in continuous mining machines of the kboring type and more parfucularly relates to an improved means for mining the upstanding cusps left between the boring heads of the rnachine and collecting the mined material for loading.

Inycontinuous mining machines of the boring type,

land particularly mining machines arranged to mine wide working places and having more than two laterally spaced boring heads, the lower trimmer chain trimming the upstanding cusps kbetween the boring heads travels for the length ofthe lower trimmer bar, and as a result progresses the mined material towards one rib of the Working place.

This vmaterial will collect along one rib of the working place presenting an obstacle over which the machine frequently rides, and requiring a substantial amount of manipulation onthe part' of the operator of the machine to avoid rolling'over the accumulated loose material and keep the machine level.

3,15%,719 Patented May 7, 1963 tional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings,'I have shown in FIGURE l a continuous mining machine 10 of the boring type having a mobile base or main frame (not shown) having a cutter frame 11 supported thereon and extending in advance thereof, and mounted on the main frame of the machine in a conventional manner, for vertical adjustment with respect thereto and for angular adjustment about axes extending transversely of the main frame of the machine.

The cutter frame 11 has two rotary boring heads 12 ,mounted on each side of a central throat 13, for rotation about laterally `spaced horizontal axes extending longitudinal of the machine, for cutting contiguous bores in a mine face, leaving upstanding and depending cusps, ex-

' tending upwardly from the mine licor and depending from the mine roof, between said boring heads.

Each boring head 12, as shown in FIGURE l, has a radially extending boring arm 15 extending radially of a hub 16 and having an annular pilot cutter 17 projecting forwardly of said hub, and radially spaced cuttersup- A principal object of the present invention is to remedy i l the foregoing difculties by trimming the lower cusps by cutting the cusps from opposite sides toward the center. of the machine and progressing the mined material towards the center of the machine, during the cusp cutting operation. v

Another object of the invention is to improve upon continuous mining machines of the boring type and particularly those machines having more than two boring heads and a center throat, by providing individual trimmerchains traveling along pairs of upper and lower trimmer bars o n each side of the machine, and by sotraining and driving the trimmer chains that their lower runs will travel inwardly from the outer sides of the machine toward each other. v

Still another and rimportant object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cusp cutting and ma- *Y terial collecting means for continuous mining machines of the boring type and particularly those machines having more than two boring heads positioned on opposite. sides of a central throat and elevating conveyor, in which the,

upstanding and depending cusps on each side of the throat are cut away by individual trimmer chains spaced rearwardly of the boring heads, wherein the lower runs of 4the trimmer chains are driven toward each other to progress the mined material towardthe center of the machine, and in which the center upstanding cusp in front of the throat of the conveyor is cut by a rotary trimmer bar between thelower runs of the trimmer chain 'and rotated in a direction to'load the mined material onto the elevating conveyor of the machine.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specication proceeds and with reference vt'o the accompanying drawings where- FIGURE l isa lfront end view of a continuous minports 18 and 19 spaced radially outwardly of said pilot cutter. The pilot cutter and cutter supports 18 and 19 Vcarry the usual'cutter bits for cutting a plurality of radially spaced annular kerfs in the mine face, as the boring heads 12 on the side of the machine, which in FIGURE l is a right hand'side of the machine when looking directly at this ligure, rotate in clockwise directions toward the throat 13. The boring heads 12 on the opposite side of the machine `from those just described are driven to rotate in counterclockwise directions to progress the mined material. toward the center of the machine. The boring heads 12 also have plates 2t) extending angularly inwardly from the advance sides thereof between the cutter supports 18 and 19, which serve as paddles to aid in progressing the mined material toward the center of the machine in a conventional manner.

The machine Ialso has a conveyor 21 extending therealong from .a position adjacent the ground, rearwardly of a support 22 for a rotary trimmer bar 23, mounted between two trimmer bars' 24 and 25- extending from opposite sides of the rotary trimmer bar 23V toward the outer sides of the machine and supported on the support 22.. vertically extending pusher plates 27 a-re mounted on and extend upwardly from the support 22 for the lower trimmer .bars 24 and 25 on opposite sides of the conveyor 21, to confine the mined coal to be progressed toward said conveyor by the rotating boring heads 12 and by trimmer chains 28 Vand 29 traveling along the trimmer bars 24 and 25' from the outerlsides ofthe machine toward the throat 13 Iand rotary trimmer bar 23, as 'will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specication proceeds.

The pusher plates 27 have upwardly opening slots 32 therein registering with the hubs 16 and `accommodating vertical adjustable movement of the trimmer bars 24 and 2'5 and the rotary trimmer bar 23 toward and from the hubs 16. The pusher plates 27 also have angularly inwardly extending plate portions 33, extending inwardly toward the conveyor 21 and terminating into parallel longitudinally extending portions 34, extending along the Aingmachine `of the boring type constructed in accordyance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE'Z is'a'n enlarged partial fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 Of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial fragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE v2; and ,Y l FIGURE 4 is a partial fragmentary longitudinal secinside of side walls 35 for the conveyor 21. The parallel longitudinally extending wall portions 34 of the pusher plates 27 also extend along the inside of the throat 33, to ,conne the mined material to be progressed tow-ard and onto the conveyor 21 by the rotary tr-immer bar 23 in front of the throat 13 in cooperation with the lower trimmer chains 28 and 39 and the boring heads 12.

The lower ,trimmer ba-rs 24 and 25 and rotary trimmer bar 23,`mount`e'dtherebetween, are suspendedfrom the cutter f-rarnell on piston rods 36 of hydraulic jacks (not shown)."`"l"h'e piston rods 36ware mounted on the support 22 and are extensibly and retractably movable with respect to cylinders (not shown) mounted on the front face of the cutter frame 11. The piston rods 36 thus adjustably move said lower trimmer bars and the rotary trirn-mer bar 23 with respect to the :ground in a conventional manner, and are no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described fur-ther.

An upper support 39 for upper trimmer bars 40k and 41 is mounted on the cutter frame on laterally spaced vertically extending hydraulic jacks 43. The hydraulic jacks 43, as .shown in FIGURE l are mounted on the front of the cutter frame 11 and extend vertically therefrom and are operable to support the upper support 39 and to vertically adjust said support and the trimmer bars 40 and 41 to the required cutting height of the machine, and to retain said support and trimmer bars in yselected adjusted cutting positions.

The upper trimmer bar 4d -is positioned to cut the depending cusps left between the two left hand boring heads 12, and has the usual channeled guide (not shown) extending therealong, forming a guide for the trimmer chain 28 and also has corner sprockets 44 at opposite ends thereof, about which the trimmer chain 28 is trained. From the outer `corner sprocket 44 the trimmer chain 28 extends inwardly around .a tension idler 45 on a tension arm 46, maintaining a uniform tension on the trimmer chain 29 in all vertical posi-tions of the trimmer bars 40 and 24 with respect to each other. The trimmer chain 28 extends outwardly from the tension idler 45 and around a drive sprocket 4'7, ykeyed or 4otherwise secured to the outer hub 16 and driven thereby. From thence, the trimmer chain 28 extends downwardly around a corner sprocket 42 to and along a channeled lguide 48, extending along the lower trimmer bar 24. The trimmer chain turns about a corner sprocket I49 .at the inner end of the trimmer bar 24, upwardly to an idler sprocket 50 freely mounted on a hub 16 adjacent the throat 13 and to and around the inner corner .sprocket 44. The outer left hand rotary boring head 12, rotating in a counterclockwise direction toward the throat `13 will drive the drive sprocket 46 through the hub 16 to rotate in a similar direction and drive the trimmer chain 28 to move along the trimmer bar 24 toward the inner end thereof, and progress the cuttings toward the rotary trimmer bar 23 to be picked up thereby and deposited onto the conveyor 21.

The trimmer bar 41 is like the cutter bar 40', but is longer than said trimmer bar in that it extends over the throat 13 to cut the depending cusp lef-t between the two innermost boring heads 12. Said trimmer bar has corner sprockets 51 at opposite ends thereof. The trimmer chain 29' turns about the outermost corner sprocket 51 to and about a tension idler 53 on the end of a take-up arm 54, like the take-up arm 46 and tension idler 45. From thence, :the trimmer chain is trained about a drive sprocket 55 keyed or otherwise secured to the outer hub 16 and downwardly therefrom about a corner sprocket 56 on the outer end of the right hand trimmer bar 25. The trimmer chain 29 is then guided for movement `along said trimmer bar toward the rotary trimmer bar 23, about a corner sprocket 57 at the inner end of the trimmer bar 25, and upwardly of said idler about an idler 59 freely mounted on the inner hub 16, to and about the inner corner sprocket 51.

The two trimmer chains are thus driven to trim the cusps depending from the mine roof while traveling outwardly toward the outer sides of the machine, and to trim the cusps upstanding from the mined door, while traveling inwardly toward the rotary trimmer bar 23.

The rotary trimmer bar 23, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, is in the general form of a hollow sh-aft having bit receiving sockets 60 extending radially therein for the length thereof. Cutter bits 61 are retained in said sockets by the usual set screws 63, entering said sockets through slots or recessed portions 64 extending Ialong said trimmer bar, and recessing the heads of the said screws 63 within said trimmer bar. The cutter bits 61 are pitched to cut as the trimmer bar is rotating upwardly from the mine floor, in a direction, which in FIGURE 4 is shown `as being a counterclockwise direction.

The trimmer bar 23 has a shaft 65 mounted in one end thereof and projecting outwardly therefrom and journalled in an anti-friction bearing 66, carried in a bearing support arm 6'7 extending forwardly of the rotary cutter bar support 22. A pin 69 extending radially through the trimmer bar and shaft 65 is provided to retain said shaft in position with respect to said trimmer bar and to effect a drive to said trimmer bar from said shaft. A similar shaft (not shown) is recessed in and extends from the opposite end of the trimmer bar 23 and is journalled in the rotary cutter bar support in a manner similar to which the shaft 65 is journalled therein.

The shaft 65 has a bevel gear 7@ keyed or otherwise secured to the outer end thereof meshing with and driven from a bevel gear '71 journalled on a stub shaft 73, herein shown as extending inwardly from and being formed integrally with an end cap 74 for the rotary cutter bar support 22. The bevel gear 71 has a spur gear 75 formed integrally therewith, meshing with and driven from a spur gear 76 keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 77 journalled at one end in the `cap 74 and at its opposite end in a bearing support 79 shown as being formed integrally with and forming the front wall of the rotary trimmer bar support 22. The shaft 77 extends outwardly of the bearing support "79 and is driven from the sprocket 49 which is keyed or otherwise secured thereto and is driven fro-m the trimmer chain 28.

A stripper 8G is provided to strip the mined material from the cutter bits 61. Said stripper is shown in FIG- URE 4 as abutting the fiat top face of the trimmer bar support 22 and as being secured .thereto by cap or machine screws 81. The stripper 80 has a forward end portion S2 inclined upwardly from the advance edge of a fiat top surface `of the trimmer bar support 22 and has an undersurface 83 conforming generally -to the paths of travel of the cutter bits 61 as they pass along and beneath said inclined undersurface. The inclined undersurface S3 forms la general continuation of a forward arcuate surface 8S, spaced from and conforming generally to the paths of travel of the cutter bits 61, and cooperating with the stripper Si) to prevent the carrying of the cuttings downwardly along the trimmer bar support 22, and the jamming of the cuttings between said trimmer bar support and rotary trimmer bar 23.

The rotary trimmer bar 23 thus serves to cut the central cusp in front of the throat 13 between the innermost boring heads 12, as shown in FIGURE 4, and also serves to progress the mined cusp onto the conveyor 21, as well as to load the loose mined material progressed toward said rotary trimmer bar by the trimmer chains 2S and 29, onto said conveyor, and cooperates with said trimmer chains to prevent the accumulation of cuttings at one side or the other of the working place.

In this form of the invention, the mined material is progressed inwardly from the outer side of the machine by the two trimmer chains 89 and 90 traveling toward each other, and the pusher plates or paddles 20 on the boring arms 12, in cooperation with the pusher plates 27, serve to progress the mined material toward the center of the machine to be picked up by the conveyor 21 as the machine is advanced into the working place.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be'embodied, it may be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of ythe novel concepts thereof, as defined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having a conveyor extending therealong, a cutter frame supported in advance of said main frame and having a throat opening to said conveyor, at least one rotary Iboring head mounted on said cutter frame on each -side of said throat, laterally spaced upper and lower trimmer bars mounted rearwardly of said boring heads on each side of said throat, a drive sprocket and aan idler sprocket rotatably mounted on said cutter frame on each side of said throat, individual trimmer chains on each side of said throat guided for movement along said upper and lower trimmer bars :and meshing with the associated idler sprockets and drive sprockets and driven by said drive sprockets to travel along the lower of said trimmer bars toward each other, said trimmer chains traveling along the lower of Said trimmer bars changing their directions of travel adjacent opposite sides of said throat to progress the mined material toward said throat, and a rotary trimmer bar mounted between said lower trimmer bars in advance of said throat and rotatably driven to cut the upstanding cusp left by said boring heads in advance of said throat and to load the mined material advanced by said trimmer chains toward said throat onto said conveyor.

2. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having a conveyor extending therealong, a cutter frame supported in advance of said main frame and having a throat opening to said conveyor, aft least two horizontally aligned rotary boring heads mounted on said cutter frame on each side of said throat and rotatably driven about parallel spaced longitudinal axes on opposite sides of said throat in directions to progress the mined material toward said throat, horizontally aligned laterally spaced upper and lower trimmer bars on each side of said throat and mounted on said cutter trame rearwardly of said boring heads, a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket on each side of said throat, individual trimmer chains meshing with associated drive sprockets and idler sprockets and driven by said drive sprockets to travel along .the lower of said trimmer bars toward each other, said trimmer chains traveling along the lower of said trimmer bars changing their directions of travel adjacent opposite sides of said throat to progress the mined material toward said throat, and a rotary trimmer bar in front of said throat mounted in the space between said lower trimmer bars and rotatably driven to cut the upstanding cusp between the innermost of said boring heads and to load the mined material progressed toward said throat lby said trimmer chains, onto said conveyor.

3. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having a conveyor extending therealong, a cutter frame supported in advance of Said main frame and having a throat opening to said conveyor, at least two horizontally aligned rotary boring heads mounted on said cutter frame on each side of said throat and rotatably driven about parallel spaced longitudinal axes on opposite sides of said throat in directions to progress the mined material toward said throat, horizontally aligned laterally spaced upper and lower trimmer bars on each side of said throat and mounted on said cutter frame rearwardly of said boring heads, a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket on each side of said throat, individual trimmer chains meshing with associated drive sprockets and idler sprockets and driven by said drive sprockets to travel along the lower of said trimmer bars toward each other, said trimmer chains traveling along the lower of said trimmer bars changing their directions of travel adjacent opposite sides of said throat and progressing the mined material toward said throat, and a rotary trimmer bar mounted on the lowermost trimmer bars in the space therebetween, and a drive connection from at least one of said trimmer chains to said trimmer bar for drivinlg said trimmer bar to cut the upstanding cusp left between the innermost of said boring heads and to load said cusp and mined material progressed toward said trimmer bar by said trimmer chains onto said conveyor.

4. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having a conveyor extending therealong, a cutter frame supported in advance of said main frame and having a throat opening to said conveyor, a plurali-ty of rotary boring heads mounted on said cutter frame in advance thereof and rotatably driven about parallel longitudinal axes spaced on opposite sides of said throat, a pair of upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said cutter frame rearwardly of said boring heads on each side of said throat, a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket on each side of said throat, `said upper and lower trimmer bars having corner sprockets at opposite ends thereof, and individual trimmer chains in association with each idler sprocket and drive sprocket and trained about said corner sprockets along said trimmer bars on each side of said throat, the innermost lower corner sprockets being positioned at opposite sides of said throat and changing the directions of travel of said trimmer chains as they approach said throat, a rotary trimmer bar mounted on said lower trimmer bars in the space therebetween, and a drive connection from the innermost corner sprocket on a lower trimmer bar for rotatably driving said trimmer bar to cut the cusp in front of said throat and to load the mined material progressed to said trimmer bar by said trimmer chains onto said conveyor.

5. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame having a conveyor extending therealong, a cutter frame supported in advance of said frame and having a throat opening to said conveyor, a plurality of rotary .boring heads mounted on said cutter frame in ad-r vance thereof and rotatably driven about spaced parallel longitudinal axes on opposite sides of said throat, two pairs of upper and lower trimmer bars on opposite sides of said throat and mounted on said cutter trame rearwardly of said boring heads, a drive sprocket and an idler sprocket on each side of said throat in association with each pair of upper and lower trimmer bars, individual trimmer `chains meshing with said drive sprocket and said idler sprocket and guided for movement along said trimmer bars and driven by said drive sprockets to travel along the lower of said trimmer bars toward each other, a rotary trimmer bar mounted on the lowermost of said trimmer bars in the space therebetween and in alignment therewith and having cutter bits projecting radially therefrom, and a drive connection from one of said trimmer chains to said rotary trimmer bar comprising a corner sprocket meshing with a trimmer chain and journalled inwardly of the inner end of a `lowerrnost of said trimmer bars and driven by said trimmer chain, and a geared drive lconnection from said corner sprocket to said rotary trimmer bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,770,448 Miller NOV. 13, 1956 2,802,654 Gonski Aug. 13, 1957 2,877,005 Silks Mar. 10, 1959 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE, A MOBILE MAIN FRAME HAVING A CONVEYOR EXTENDING THEREALONG, A CUTTER FRAME SUPPORTED IN ADVANCE OF SAID MAIN FRAME AND HAVING A THROAT OPENING TO SAID CONVEYOR, AT LEAST ONE ROTARY BORING HEAD MOUNTED ON SAID CUTTER FRAME ON EACH SIDE OF SAID THROAT, LATERALLY SPACED UPPER AND LOWER TRIMMER BARS MOUNTED REARWARDLY OF SAID BORING HEADS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID THROAT, A DRIVE SPROCKET AND AN IDLER SPROCKET ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CUTTER FRAME ON EACH SIDE OF SAID THROAT, INDIVIDUAL TRIMMER CHAINS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID THROAT GUIDED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID UPPER AND LOWER TRIMMER BARS AND MESHING WITH THE ASSOCIATED IDLER SPROCKETS AND DRIVE SPROCKETS AND DRIVEN BY SAID DRIVE SPROCKETS TO TRAVEL ALONG THE LOWER OF SAID TRIMMER BARS TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID TRIMMER CHAINS TRAVELING ALONG THE LOWER OF SAID TRIMMER BARS CHANGING THEIR DIRECTIONS OF TRAVEL ADJACENT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID THROAT TO PROGRESS THE MINED MATERIAL TOWARD SAID THROAT, AND A ROTARY TRIMMER BAR MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID LOWER TRIMMER BARS IN ADVANCE OF SAID THROAT AND ROTATABLY DRIVEN TO CUT THE UPSTANDING CUSP LEFT BY SAID BORING HEADS IN ADVANCE OF SAID THROAT AND TO LOAD THE MINED MATERIAL ADVANCED BY SAID TRIMMER CHAINS TOWARD SAID THROAT ONTO SAID CONVEYOR. 